Arts Alive

Cover of the new book, Presidential Retreats, by Peter Hannaford, a former aide to Ronald Reagan and a resident of Eureka, California

Local Eureka author Peter Hannaford, will be signing his new book, Presidential Retreats: Where the Presidents Went and Why They Went There, during Arts Alive on Saturday, December 1, 2012, from 6 to 9 p.m. He will give a lecture at Old Town Coffee and Chocolates (on F Street, near Second) on Sunday, December 2, at 2 p.m. Admission is free. Hannaford, who married into the prominent Russ family (early settlers of Humboldt County), served as an aide to Ronald Reagan for many years. This book grew out of his interest in the presidency.

On November 3, during Arts Alive! (6 to 9 p.m.), we’re celebrating the opening of Peggy Irvine’s new show of botanical watercolors and drawings.

As in past Novembers, we’re having an heirloom apple tasting, and this year Hospice of Humboldt is going to pour wine (donations accepted!). Drew Clendenden, of Clendenen’s Cider Works in Fortuna, David Hagemann from Rio Dell, and David Martinek from Eureka, will bring apples from their orchards to taste and will be on hand to answer questions about growing apples in Humboldt County.

Local author Michael Kauffmann will be on hand to sign copies of his new book Conifer Country tonight from 6-9pm during Arts Alive! Conifer Country is a natural history and hiking guide to 35 conifers of the Klamath Mountain region.

The Times-Standard published an article on the book:

When Michael Kauffmann began hiking through Humboldt County’s forests, he noticed something that a more casual hiker might take for granted.

”We have an extraordinary collection of conifers right here,” he said. “In fact, the Klamath mountain region has one of the most diverse assemblages of conifers anywhere on the planet.”

Although redwoods and Douglas firs get most of the attention, he realized that some of the conifers, like the Baker’s cypress and the foxtail pine, are quite rare and obscure.

Kauffmann, who teaches science at Fortuna Union Elementary School and at Humboldt State University, took it upon himself to explore and document the ranges of 35 local species.

As a populist historian of the American Revolution, Redway author Ray Raphael is more likely to write about farmers and innkeepers than presidents. But that’s exactly what makes his new book, Mr. President: How and Why the Founders Created a Chief Executive, so compelling. To celebrate the release of the book, published by Knopf, the most prestigious American publisher, Raphael will sign copies—and undoubtedly engage in lively discussions ab

out this hot topic—at Eureka Books during Arts Alive on Saturday, April 7 at 6 PM.

Eureka Books is proud to host the Fourth Annual Book Arts show by the North Redwoods Book Arts Guild (NORBAG). The unique and colorful books will be on display through September 30th.

NORBAG’s annual showcase of local book artists will once again test your notions of what a book is and can be. Think of how Picasso transformed the still life, and that’s what these artists do with the idea of a book.

Fortuna and the Eel River Valley by Alex Service and Susan O’Hara, published by Arcadia

Alex Service, curator of the Fortuna Depot Museum, has sorted through historical photographs from the museum’s collection, along with photos of the Fortuna Volunteer Fire Department and local residents to tell the story of the community’s history. Her new book, Fortuna and the Eel River Valley, was co-authored with historian and educator Susan O’Hara and has just been published by Arcadia Publishing. Service will be at Eureka Books on Saturday, August 6 from 6-9 pm to sign copies of the new book.

“This history of Fortuna and the Eel River Valley really reflects all of the larger forces at work in Humboldt County over the years,” said Eureka Books owner Scott Brown. “From logging and milling, to our local apple growers and dairies, to the expansion brought on by the railroad in 1914, this book fills a critical gap in our appreciation of our history.” The book also covers Fernbridge, the company town of Scotia, and Newburg, a long-vanished mill town.

Fortuna and the Eel River Valley represents an important contribution to the growing collection of Arcadia titles on local history. In addition to histories of several towns in Humboldt County, the company has also published books on the history of Humboldt State University and the Sequoia Park Zoo. “These photographs are hard to come by,” said Brown, “and as anyone who has ever tried to organize family photos knows, it’s not easy to get the right dates, names, and places for each photo. It’s a tremendous amount of effort, and we’re lucky to have so many local historians working on these books.”

Join us tonight for Arts Alive! and check out some vintage prints by illustrator W.W. Denslow. Perhaps most recognized for the illustrations in L. Frank Baum’s Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the prints tonight are from St. Nicholas, a magazine for boys and girls, circa 1909.

Join author Cathleen Cahill at Eureka Books to celebrate the publication of her first book, Federal Fathers and Mothers: A Social History of the United States Indian Service, 1869 – 1933.

Cathleen will be available to meet and to answser questions about her research with teh Indian Service (today known as the Bureau of Indian Affairs), the bureau’s connections to Northern California, and how she used local archives for her work.

Saturday June 18

3:30 p.m.

Eureka Books

426 Second Street

For more information call (707) 444-9593

Cathleen Cahill is assistant professor of history at the University of New Mexico and is a graduate of St. Bernard’s High School in Eureka.

Saturday night is Arts Alive! in Eureka from 6 to 9 pm, and stores will be open late showing art.

Local author and artist Joan Dunning will be at Eureka Books signing her new children’s book about the marbled murrelet, Seabird in the Forest. It’s a very touching and beautifully illustrated tale about the life cycle of one of the North Coast’s endangered creatures.

Come meet the author and check out Joan’s original paintings from the book which will be on display on the Eureka Books art wall.

Seabird in the Forest is Joan’s latest book on the natural world. Her previous works include From the Redwood Forest, Secrets of the Nest and The Loon. She also illustrated the children’s book, Leaving Home.